第39章

Tarzan waited until Gernois had had time to get well out of hearing, then he pushed open the door and stepped into the room.He was on top of Rokoff before the man could rise from the chair where he sat scanning the paper Gernois had given him.As his eyes turned and fell upon the ape-man's face his own went livid.

"You!" he gasped.

"I," replied Tarzan.

"What do you want?" whispered Rokoff, for the look in the ape-man's eyes frightened him."Have you come to kill me?

You do not dare.They would guillotine you.You do not dare kill me.""I dare kill you, Rokoff," replied Tarzan, "for no one knows that you are here or that I am here, and Paulvitch would tell them that it was Gernois.I heard you tell Gernois so.But that would not influence me, Rokoff.I would not care who knew that I had killed you; the pleasure of killing you would more than compensate for any punishment they might inflict upon me.

You are the most despicable cur of a coward, Rokoff, I have ever heard of.You should be killed.I should love to kill you,"and Tarzan approached closer to the man.

Rokoff's nerves were keyed to the breaking point.With a shriek he sprang toward an adjoining room, but the ape-man was upon his back while his leap was yet but half completed.Iron fingers sought his throat--the great coward squealed like a stuck pig, until Tarzan had shut off his wind.Then the ape-man dragged him to his feet, still choking him.The Russian struggled futilely--he was like a babe in the mighty grasp of Tarzan of the Apes.

Tarzan sat him in a chair, and long before there was danger of the man's dying he released his hold upon his throat.

When the Russian's coughing spell had abated Tarzan spoke to him again.

"I have given you a taste of the suffering of death," he said.

"But I shall not kill--this time.I am sparing you solely for the sake of a very good woman whose great misfortune it was to have been born of the same woman who gave birth to you.

But I shall spare you only this once on her account.

Should I ever learn that you have again annoyed her or her husband--should you ever annoy me again--should Ihear that you have returned to France or to any French posession, I shall make it my sole business to hunt you down and complete the choking I commenced tonight." Then he turned to the table, on which the two pieces of paper still lay.

As he picked them up Rokoff gasped in horror.

Tarzan examined both the check and the other.He was amazed at the information the latter contained.Rokoff had partially read it, but Tarzan knew that no one could remember the salient facts and figures it held which made it of real value to an enemy of France.

"These will interest the chief of staff," he said, as he slipped them into his pocket.

Rokoff groaned.He did not dare curse aloud.

The next morning Tarzan rode north on his way to Bouira and Algiers.As he had ridden past the hotel Lieutenant Gernois was standing on the veranda.As his eyes discovered Tarzan he went white as chalk.The ape-man would have been glad had the meeting not occurred, but he could not avoid it.